I’ve been reading over the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and I’ve thought what some of these would have sounded like to modern ears. For people like you and me, living and breathing and eating and working in the 21st century world. Maybe something like this:

1) You’re blessed when you’ve admitted you’re hopelessly caught up in your addictions and can’t free yourself, because in surrender there is freedom and liberty.

2) You’re blessed when you’ve quit being religious and started being real, when you take off the masks you’ve been wearing for so long and be yourself, warts and broken pieces and all, because you’ve given God a place to start in your life and that’s all He needs.

3) You’re blessed when you stop pointing fingers at everyone else for what’s wrong with the world and start pointing that finger at the figure in the mirror looking back at you, because the first step of healing and restoration  begins with admitting you’re the one who is sick and needs a Doctor.

4) You’re blessed when you won’t rejoice in the death of another, no matter how depraved or despicable  that person’s actions are, because you know that the only reason that person isn’t you is the nonstop grace of God at work in your life.

5) You’re blessed when you can look at your enemy and smile and forgive them even when they’re still hurting you, because you know that Love is stronger than hate or rage or fear and the Jesus in you is always stronger than whatever or whoever you’re facing.

6) You’re blessed when you can freely admit that you don’t have all the answers or have God all figured out, when you admit that you can’t make it on your own, that you are desparately in need of God to come through for you or you will fail miserably, because that’s always when God shows up in your world.

7) You’re blessed when you know that the very thing God wants from you is just for you to say that you don’t deserve Him or anything He can give you, that there is no reason He should bother with you, other than what Jesus has done for you on the Cross and how He took your place. How His perfection and righteousness are yours. That you surrender yourself and lay down your rights and own plans and follow Him to any place or person He leads you to. These are the kind of people God wants to change the world with.

8) You’re blessed when your prayer every morning is “Help me! Help me Help me!” and your prayer every evening is “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Because you’re headed in the right direction. You have God on your side and He’s not about to leave you or abandon you. He may take you down some roads you would not have chosen, but He will be with you every step of the way and He has promised in the end to get you Home on time.

May these and many more blessings be yours now and always!